HYATTSVILLE, Md. – With Isaiah Austin, Emmanual Mudiay, Jelon Hornbeak and others on the Grace Prep (Texas) roster, it might be hard for a player to break out.

For Jordan Mickey, the increased attention to the team enabled him to demonstrate his skills on a bigger stage.

“I was able to show what I can do,” Mickey said.

Mickey, a 6-foot-8 forward, is one of the fastest-rising players in the class of 2013. The hype surrounding him has been increasing throughout the fall and he backed it up with his performance at the National High School Hoops Festival against Oak Hill Academy (Va.). Mickey is very athletic and can run the floor extremely well. He knows how to finish at the rim, and his length enables him to be a factor on the glass. Mickey can also block shots well.

Against Oak Hill, he was the one Grace Prep player who took his game to a new level.

“My team needed me to step up in the second half,” Mickey said. “I needed to be more aggressive, grab more rebounds, step up on defense.”

Although Grace Prep lost, Mickey solidified himself as a lock to be in the next Top 100 when it’s released later in the season. Once he adds weight and refines his offensive game – all things he is working on – he is going to be a major talent.

Mickey currently has offers from Texas A&M, Kansas, Providence and Houston, with interest coming from Texas.

For someone who loves to run the floor and make plays in transition, it’s no surprise as to what he’s looking for in a school.

Rodney Purvis has had a whirlwind of a recruitment as anyone in the class of 2012. It looks like it will soon come to an end, though.

Avie Lester, Purvis’ high school coach at Upper Room Christian (N.C.), informed the Raleigh News & Observer that Purvis would be announcing his decision at a press conference on Friday.

The paper said he will be choosing between North Carolina State, Louisville, Connecticut and VCU; however, it seems that Louisville and VCU are no longer recruiting Purvis.

Signs point to North Carolina State, but we will find out for sure (or for now?) on Friday. Purvis had previously committed to Louisville before reopening his recruitment. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is ranked No. 15 in the class of 2012 by CBSSports.com.

Jevon Thomas to Dayton

Former St. John’s pledge Jevon Thomas has made his next choice, committing to Dayton on Wednesday afternoon.

Multiple sources confirmed the commitment to CBSSports.com.

Thomas also considered Seton Hall before choosing the Flyers. The 5-foot-11 point guard fits a much-needed position for head coach Archie Miller, as Thomas is one of the fastest players in the country. He can get to end-to-end extremely quick, and is fearless when going to the rim.

Thomas joins Jalen Robinson in Dayton’s 2012 class.

Houston gets another commitment

Houston head coach James Dickey continues to make waves on the recruiting trail.

Izundu burst onto the scene this summer, demonstrating his tremendous shot-blocking ability and vast potential. He is long and athletic, and will make an immediate impact on the defensive end of the floor.

Houston might have had its biggest recruiting day since the early 1980s on Sunday.

Danuel House and Danrad “Chicken” Knowles, two consensus top-100 recruits, both announced their commitments to the Cougars.

Texas Pro AAU coach Marland Lowe informed CBSSports.com of their decisions immediately after they announced it at the “Rucker on Wood” event in Texas.

"Danuel House and Chicken Knowles have just chosen head coach James Dickey and the Univ. [of] Houston as their college choice," the text stated.

House, ranked No. 37 in CBSSports.com’s Top 100, is a 6-foot-6 small forward from Hightower (Tex.) who uses his athleticism and aggressiveness to make plays at the rim. He runs the floor tremendously well and is very difficult to stop in transition. House handles the ball fairly well, and his outside shot is getting more consistent. Due to his length and leaping ability, he has a solid defender and rebounder.

House began receiving in-home visits on Friday, with Baylor, Georgetown, Ohio State, Texas and Kansas as the other finalists.

Knowles, a 6-foot-10 forward from Texas, blew up at the NBPA Top 100 camp and continued his strong play on the AAU circuit in July. He’s very long and athletic, but has great face-up ability out to the 3-point line. Knowles, ranked No. 79 in the top 100, can dribble the ball fairly well for someone his size, and is a major matchup problem for most opponents due to his skill-set.

The last schools on Knowles' list included Baylor, Arkansas and Missouri.

Danuel House entered Memorial Day Weekend with just two offers, but racked up nearly 40 after impressive play during May, June and July.

Coming out of the summer, House cut down his list to six: Houston, Baylor, Georgetown, Ohio State, Texas and Kansas.

Starting Friday and ending September 13, at least five of the schools will come through for visits with House, according to Texas Pro coach Marland Lowe. One has not been confirmed yet.

“Only in-home visits,” Lowe said.

While other top prospects are taking official visits to their final schools, House is unable to go on trips due to his lack of a standardized test score. He plans on taking the test in October.

“Not really concerned about the test,” Lowe said. “He has a 3.0 GPA.”

There is no specific timetable for a decision, and House has not decided whether he will decide before he is allowed to take official visits, or simply get it done after the in-homes.

“It will depend on how the home visits go,” Lowe said.

House is a 6-foot-6 small forward from Hightower (Tex.) who uses his athleticism and aggressiveness to make plays at the rim. He runs the floor tremendously well and is very difficult to stop in transition. House handles the ball fairly well, and his outside shot is getting more consistent. Due to his length and leaping ability, he has a solid defender and rebounder.

Before the Best Buy Classic in Chicago over Memorial Day Weekend, Danuel House was hearing from two schools, TCU and Jacksonville.

After a breakout performance in the Windy City, House has seen his stock skyrocket.

“It was at two, then 32, now 35,” he said. “It’s still new to me.”

House, a 6-foot-6 small forward from Elkins, Texas, has offers from Louisville, Baylor, Texas, California, Colorado, USC, Houston and, yes, TCU and Jacksonville. Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, Maryland, Florida State, South Florida, Gonzaga and Providence have also reached out to the rising senior.

“It’s good exercise for the brain,” said House, referring to rattling off his long list of suitors. “It’s fun.”

House is a terrific athlete who is at his best when driving to the basket and finishing at the rim. He is great in transition and also handles the ball fairly well. His outside shot needs work, but he does have the ability to knock down 3-pointers. With his length and athleticism, he is a solid defender.

It doesn’t take long to see his potential, which makes it even more surprising that it took so long for House to burst onto the scene.